Well that worked....

I would have been writing more but lately got swamped with work.  And hey sold a few items out of the store, ones that I was iffy about putting up because I didn’t think anyone would want to buy something that off the wall, my steampunk/bohemian necklace went to a woman creating a steampunk costume (Which I wanted to keep it for). And my tribal inspired earrings are headed to a girl who loves that look, I’m hoping to get pictures of them with it on. 

Let’s see, I have some new items to edit and put up on the site too, okay so nIIz designs has a lot of stuff that still needs to go up, I’ve been slacking on that lately, but we’ve been trying to get the house cleaned up so that I can take over a corner of the living room as the base of operations instead of being by the stairs, because ugh, whenever anyone bounds down those stairs it causes me to lose count on stitches.  And I’d like an area I can work on more jewelry, the corner I’m in now is horrible for that.

And in the world away from the shop, the weather’s caused me to catch another cold.  We’ve been getting wonderful days, and frost warnings, which makes me glad that we don’t have the garden fixed up and planted.  Though I did want to do that this spring, once the store’s doing better I think I’ll work on that, I miss fresh vegetables that all I have to do is rinse them off a  little with the garden hose before nomming away (Have to love my technical terms here).

Maybe I just have the munchies for something healthy, here goes suggesting chili fries for lunch.  Anyway I have some errands to run, pictures to edit then the blonk lab wants me back in there to whip up some new playmates for them.  I think they’re scared that they’ll be leaving with no one to work the lab properly.  If they weren’t so cute I think I’d be mad about being slave driven by stuffed animals.

In which nicky does a happy dance!

Okay yeah I know I missed a few days writing, we’re going to blame the holidays okay? 

Or the fact that I’ve been banging my head trying to get this rabbit done, and no I’m not talking about the chocolate one… that’s already in pieces next to me as I crochet.

Though I did get a nice Easter surprise, a necklace that I was really debating keeping for myself because I didn’t think anyone else would like it… Sold in the shop, just shows me that I shouldn’t be so hard on myself when it comes to my designs.  The more out there the more people seem to like it.

Tomorrow I’m walking to the post office since it’s not far and I really need to start working out more, So figure this will only help with that goal right.  Nicky wants a slimmer tummy!  It’s probably not going to happen before my birthday (yeah two weeks HAH)  But maybe by midsummer?  Well that’s the goal at least.

Well, I’m going to go package this necklace for shipping, and see about grabbing a snack that isn’t all sugar while I work out this bunny.  I think I know how I’m going to do the ears at least, and thinking I’m doing one with braids, only because I want to play around with the idea.  I don’t think she’ll be good for little kids, but I’m hoping she’s going to be cute. 

And while I’m talking shop today, let’s see we have Hammond up, he’s a pig that Liz made that personally if she’d let me keep him I would.  He’d so be going to my little stockpile of cute toys that is slowly overtaking my work area.  Most of them will be sent out as soon as I can get pictures taken and get them up on line.  Yes that’s my goal for next week, getting at least 60 more items into the shop.

Website updates YAY

Well that needed to be done, nIIz Designs web page has now been updated with almost everything from the shop. We have some more photos to get up, but I’m tired of coding now, I’ll get them up with in the next few days.

It’s something I’ve meant to do a while, but I kept putting it off, something I shouldn’t have done, but with me doing most of the promotional stuff (Okay so my partner’s been on creative streak so I’ll give her that credit) I just haven’t really wanted to work on the site. Though I’m thinking I should change the coloring on the main page to match the awesome banner one of our clients gave me.

 I think that will be a project for another day, right now as I said I’m sick of coding so I’m going to be lying out in the sun taking pictures of the products we still need to get into the shop.

While I was working on things I did put up a link page, I’m going to offer a link exchange for anyone who has a handmade crafts shop. If you want me to post a link in my shop drop a line here, or over on my Zibbet and I’ll get your banner up in the shop as soon as I can. Usually it’ll be one or two days from when you ask, all I ask is a link somewhere back to my shop.

And ooh! My partner in crime (Well friends have said the stuffed animals are criminally cute) just told me lunch is ready so I have to get going, Hoping my next update will have some of the shop stuff I’ve been working on.

Laters!
 Nicky

rain rain go away

I was asked late last night by a friend if I’d do a commission for her.  She put the idea up so that she could try to save up to for it first. She’s a friend so I really don’t have a problem with it but I’ve never really done them before I’m horrible at deadlines. 

Which reminds me on my daily planner I should put up a thing to remind me to post here every day, maybe that will work to help me stay focused, seeing the annoying red reminder every hour.

Well it’s worth a shot we’ll see how it goes starting today. 

Anyway, back to the scarf, it’s a simple design and I’m thinking I might try it with a Tunisian stitch just so I can get a feel of that stitch to see if I want to play around with it more.  The pattern it’s self for the scarf is two colors in stripes.  So pretty basic to begin with.  The original which she wants me to try to copy for her was knitted, you can tell from the photo.

But me and my knitting needles are having an agreement at the moment.  We agree to not work well with each other.  Which kind of upsets me because I want to learn how to make socks, I’ve seen some patterns that I would love to try, if for nothing else to make some cute ones to wear with a few of my short skirts. 

I’ll have to take pictures of those experiments when I get some time to work on them.  Right now all the free time is going to catching up with getting photos of the stuff the housemate and I have made for the shop.  We have over 100 items and I’ve barely had time to work on getting photos lately.  The foul weather the last few days doesn’t help matters either.  If it’s not freezing it’s been raining, and I want to abuse, use the rose bush for some of the photos before it blooms!

Next time I hope to have my Lapis wrap finished so I can get a picture of it up, right now it's sitting in the basket I'm using to hold it.  And 31 rows through I realize... I'm using a larger hook!  Half tempted to rework it.  Glad that the only one who will be wearing it is me though.  That one I won't be selling.

Friday Morning

And I want to roll back into bed until sometime Friday evening.  I think I’m going to blame it all on just being a tad bored.  I know I have things I need to finish getting done.  One of those getting more items shot for the shop, queuing up Tumblr for a few days, and I have a wrap that’s currently about halfway done that I want to finish, though mine might have a hood where the pattern doesn’t have one, just because I want a nice summer hoodie.  I fell in love with the pattern when I saw it in the book and it's been the bane of my existence for a month now.  I get a row or two in then work on some other things for a bit.  At the rate I'm going, should be done by next summer. 

I should make a few more bags for the shop too.  Because so far the people I’ve shown them to have loved them.  I want to look at a few craft shops around here too though that could possibly wait until the weekend when it’s supposed to rain, because I hate being stuck inside when it’s raining. 

Today I think is just going to be a blah day.  The Tumblr may just get a week of random stuff in queue so I can focus on the shop only.  Wouldn’t be the first time I pulled that.  I know I try to post one item in shop in it once a day, but out of items that I have photos of up.  I need to update the facebook  page too.  Oh, and need to make some of my mesh gloves too, next time I go on a yarn spree I should pick up more sock yarn, right now I have one skein of black, it’s a little easier to use than the lace yarn I used for the pair of fingerless gloves I use when driving.  But not everyone would want black gloves.  And the usual weight yarn I use is a bit too heavy for gloves to wear in the summer. 

And to help with the lack of pictures today, how about some reader interaction? 

What do you like to do when you're having a blah day?

I'm alive, I think.

Well I know I said I’d blog more often, got tied up in the shop, literally, I’m surrounded by a mountain of projects in various stages of incompleteness.  Though I think today I’m putting on shorts and taking the box of things we have made out to the yard for some shots.  Hopefully I can get some time to edit them and pop them up on-line.  Though I have to admit I think we need a bigger box, because right now we have about 100 items we need jewelry boxes for sending, and need to photograph, I’ve just been waiting for a few nice days where I can lie out on the lawn going trigger happy.

And rereading that last sentence, I sound like I’m psycho or something.  I’m going to blame it on my fondness for survival horror games okay?  Good. 

I’ll leave you today with the newest item up in the shop, just in time for Summer!  Bring on the slushie fruity drinks!  Bonus with the umbrellas okay, yeah it’s been one of those weeks, and it’s only Wednesday, and really I don’t drink that much! 

 

This necklace and earring set, made of pearls, shell and a brass finding, is great for the summer.

The pooka shells mixed with pieces of other shell and pearls just screams going to the beach or boardwalk. Pair it up with a tank and shorts to give a more classy look, or a simple black dress at night for a romantic walk in the sand.

things in town done... cherry coke in hand...

And I'm looking at the mountain of yarn around me trying to figure out what I want to make today.  I have three more dish towels to finish for a friend's housewarming gift. 

I need to do some things for the shop, including some photos so I can get them up on line. 

Should work on my market bag pattern too because I love the one I'm using and abusing is an awesome little bag that I use everywhere.  Though the bottom I have to work on.  Actually had to repair it today.

I need to make more large Blonks too.  The one pictured is the one I made for my step mother for Christmas.  She adored it and actually had others ask where she got it so yeah, I have to make some more.  If nothing else I'll have a start of a stock pile of things made for craft shows next year.  Shooting for filling the shop first though!

First though!  MUNCHIES! 

Gee I'm doing great at keeping up aren't I?

Well since November I've been working my little hands to the nubs on crochet items.  I need to take more pictures of what I have to get it up on line. 

Also been trying to tame my muses so that I can focus on working on a book.  I have the idea stuck in my head for it, actually been mulling it over for the last two weeks, just need a moment or two to actually write.  Half tempted to just work on programing my voice to text program for my computer.  That way I can actually do some hands free writing.

And sorry this is such a short post.  I have some things I want to get done today while the kid's still out.  Abusing the silence today sounds like a plan.

survived! I think

Well I managed to get the blonk packaged away for my stepmother, it's currently on it's way to Michigan.  Now I just have photos to take of the rest of the stuff we have to get up on line.  Then it'll just be a matter of continuing to keep it stocked.  Shouldn't be too hard really we have a stock pile already and I'm so going to be re-organizing things so that I can get them in a better packaging production mode.

Reminds me I have to get more jewelry boxes.  Yay what fun.

But yeah, I'm planning on using this blog more.  Hopefully I will remember to.  Time for me to actually get off my rear to get the stuff I need done.  the rate I'm going... I'll have everything done by next New Years!  Yeah... I'm a little slow at it okay?

Gah! FRANTIC Mad scientist here!

I have a little over a week to finish up some presents for family and hardly time to do it in.  Though I'm about an 8th of the way done with the blanket I'm making for my dad.  Hoping I can snag some photos before giving it to him for the blog.  I can't show it off obviously before hand not sure if he's reading this one.

Also want to make a decent sized Blonk for Teri, maybe two, though pretty sure the blanket will be shared if I can finish it.  If not the housemate wants me to give them the one she made and I'll put mine in the shop.  I'm just hoping I have enough yarn for it.

And yeah I know I need to put more items up in the Zibbet account to get that fully up and running.  Ugh, if I survive the Holidays this year it'll be a miracle.  They're not even in full swing yet and I'm frazzled.

Might be because I have so many things to do and feels like absolutely no time to do it.  Wonder if this is how other shop owners feel their first year of having a shop?

I really need to post here more often...

I’ve been hanging out too much on Tejinas Toybox lately though I’m slowly trying to get everything organized better so that I have all the blogs tied into one.

Let’s see, the last… few months have actually been a blur, I’ve been busy trying to get things done, and we got the housemate’s son to college, with all the quiet time in the house you’d think I’d spend more time writing… Yeah, not really, I’ve been working on so many crochet projects lately that my hands want to hack themselves off and run away. 

Doesn’t help that Toes is being clingy lately.  I think he misses his sister, she passed away back in February, and since then I’ve been in my little funk.  Hoping to pop out of it soon. 

Yeah I know a eh post, about to go get some things done so I can start figuring out what I’m going to do with the store of items I have to get into the shops.